The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x M!Reader

The preparations

Day One

Dawn painted the mountains in watercolors as I unlocked the store, the key feeling heavier somehow knowing these might be my last days here. Ningning appeared beside me before I could get too lost in that thought, her endless energy already radiating despite the early hour.

"I made a questionnaire!" she announced proudly, waving papers covered in her neat handwriting. "For the interviews!"

"A questionnaire."

"Very professional! Look, first question: 'On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your candy organizing abilities?'"

"Ning..."

"It's important!" She was already settling behind the counter, arranging her papers with surprising seriousness. "Also questions about their favorite jellie flavors, their stance on color-coding versus taste-coding, and their thoughts on proper snack aisle feng shui."

Despite everything, I found myself smiling. "Feng shui."

"Winter helped me with the wording," she said proudly. "Though she kept trying to add questions about proper documentation techniques."

The first candidate arrived precisely at eight - an elderly man who had worked at the post office before retiring. He answered Ningning's questions with patient amusement, though his confusion about "snack aisle energy flow" was evident.

"Very nice," Ningning said diplomatically after he left. "But did you see how he arranged the candy samples? No regard for complementary flavors at all."

The morning continued with a parade of potential candidates. A high school student who spent more time sneaking glances at Ningning than answering questions. A middle-aged woman who kept rearranging displays while talking, making Ningning bounce excitedly until we realized she was organizing everything by price instead of flavor profile.

"This is harder than I thought," Ningning sighed after the fifth interview, slumping dramatically across the counter. "Maybe we should just stay here forever instead."

The casual suggestion hit harder than she probably intended. Before I could spiral into that thought, the bell chimed as another candidate entered.

Minjung seemed different immediately. She bowed politely to both of us, then automatically straightened a crooked display while answering Ningning's increasingly specific questions about candy organization theory.

"She color-coded AND flavor-profiled the sample arrangement!" Ningning whispered excitedly. "AND she didn't ask for a selfie with me!"

More importantly, Minjung asked practical questions about inventory systems and local suppliers. She had experience from her aunt's shop in the next town over, and something about her quiet competence reminded me of Karina's leadership style.

"She's perfect!" Ningning declared after Minjung left. "Did you see how she..."

But I was already lost in thought, the reality of what finding a replacement meant crashing over me. This quiet store had been my sanctuary, my escape, my way of disappearing from everything that hurt. And now...

"Oppa?" Ningning's voice was gentler now. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I managed. "Just... thinking."

She studied me for a moment, all traces of her usual aegyo gone. "You know it's okay to be scared, right? Of leaving here. Of going back."

Before I could respond, Winter appeared in the doorway. "Time to start packing," she said quietly, camera already in hand. "Chaewon-unnie's waiting upstairs."